Film developing apparatus



May 12, 1942.'

L. GOLDEN FILM DEVELOPING APPARATUS Filed July 22, 1940 ATTORNEYS hunNNI Patented May 12, 1942 UNITED STATES ATENT QFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for developingfilms, either roll or motion picture.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a receptacle forcontaining the developing solution and means in conjunction therewithfor rapidly loading and unloading the film to be subjected to thedeveloping solution in the receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of thischaracter embodying means for governing the temperature of thedeveloping solution.

The invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing andspecifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view partly in vertical section of theapparatus.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 2 2of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed description thereof, thereis disclosed an outer cylindrical-shaped receptacle 5 adapted to containa developing solution, washing solution or fixing solution as employedin the developing of lms. The receptacle 5 is preferably formed of arelatively light sheet metal and may be of any desired size. The bottomwall 5 has attached thereto leg members i for supporting the receptacleon a table, work bench or the like,

Mounted within the receptacle 5 and substantially centrally thereof is acontainer Il, said container being welded or otherwise Xedly secured tothe bottom wall 5. The container 8 is employed as a receptacle whosefunction is to govern the temperature of the solution contained in thereceptacle 5, it being understood that the solution is outside of andentirely surrounds the container 8. As is well known, in the developingof films it is essential that the solution be maintained at atemperature between 68 and 72 F. Warm water can be added to thecontainer 8 for raising the temperature of the solution o1' ice can beadded thereto for lowering the temperature of the solution. Whendeveloping lms it is customary to employ a stirring rod equipped with athermometer and thus the temperature of the solution within thereceptacle 5 may be at all times governed. An outlet 9 is formed in thedeveloping solution and the bottom wall E which communicates with thecontainer 8 for permitting discharge of the fluid contained therein.

The invention further includes the use of a cylinder I ll which isremovably held within the receptacle 5 and slidably disposed over thecontainer 8. The cylinder I5 is preferably perforated as shown in thedrawing in order to decrease its weight but it is to be understood thata cylinder of solid formation may also be used. The upper end of thecylinder lll is welded or otherwise lixedly secured to the cover I Iwhich cover is applied to the receptacle 5 after the lms have beenplaced in the developing solution. Thus when removing the cover thecylinder II! is likewise removed and when replacing the cover thecontainer 8 forms a guide for the cover since the cylinder is slidablethereover. The upper edge of the receptacle 5 is formed with an annularreinforcing band I2 over which the cover is disposed.

The cylinder II) provides a means for supporting the lm to be developed,the film being suspended from rack bars carried by the cylinder. Anannular band I3 is suitably secured to the upper end of the cylinder II)and a similar band I4 is suitably secured to the lower end thereof.Projecting laterally from the band i3 are a plurality of substantiallyU-shaped brackets I5, the same being held in spaced relation. The bandI4 has projecting laterally therefrom a plurality of arms I 6 arrangedin spaced relation. The film to be developed, shown diagrammatically inFigure 1 and designated by the reference numeral I7, is looped over theU-shaped brackets I5 in the manner shown in Figure 2 and the ends of thefilm are united by means of a conventional clip I8 carried by the armsI6, said clip being lheld under a slight tension by means of the spiralspring I9.

In operation, the cover I I is removed from the receptacle 5 carryingwith it the perforated cylinder l0 and its associated brackets I5 andarms I 6. The film is then looped over the brackets and attached to thearms in the manner previously described after which the cylinder isdisposed over the container 8 within the receptacle 5 and the cover IImoved to closed position. The receptacle 5 has previously been filledwith the temperature thereof governed by means of the container 8 aspreviously described. The film is allowed to remain in the developingsolution for the required amount of time after which the cover andcylinder carrying the film are removed and inserted in a fixing solutionand subsequently in a washing solution without the necessity of removingthe lm from its support. The manner of supporting the lm on the bracketsl and arms i6 will hold them rigid alleviating the possibility ofbuckling or curling of the nlm. As afore indicated, the films may bedeveloped, rinsed, fixed and washed without removal from the hangers andmay also be dried on the hangers if desired. The construction of thereceptacle 5 and container 8 allows them, after being drained, to beeasily washed and rinsed. This construction also allows for the use of aminimum amount of solution which may thus be renewed with freshdeveloping solution as often as desired.

The solution Within the receptacle 5 is drained through a plugged outlet20 formed in the lower end of said receptacle.

Guide wires 2|, preferably four in number, eX- tend from the band I3 tothe band I4 for facilitating the threading of the film over the bracketsl5 and arms i6 when begining to load the hanger. As is to be understood,the loading of the hanger is accomplished in a dark room therefore theguide wires 2l materially aid in initially placing the iilm on thehanger.

Also it will be understood, of course, by those skilled in the art thatvariations in the hereinabove described device involving thesubstitution of substantial equivalents for the devices described areintended to be comprehended within the spirit of the present inventionand that the invention is capable of extended application and is notconfined to the exact showing of the drawing nor to the preciseconstruction described and, therefore, such changes and modificationsmay be made therein as do not affect the spirit of the invention norexceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus of the character described comprising a receptacle, acover for said receptacle, a container mounted within said receptacle,means carried by said cover and guided by said container for supportinglm to be developed within said receptacle, and means projectinglaterally from said irst means for maintaining said nlm under tensionwithin said receptacle.

2. An apparatus of the character described for developing lm comprisinga receptacle for containing a developing solution, a container for atemperature controlling solution mounted Within said receptaclesubstantially centrally thereof, a cylinder slidably disposed over saidcontainer, a removable cover for said receptacle, the upper end of saidcylinder being secured to said cover so as to be removed from saidreceptacle upon lifting said cover, and hanging means carried by saidcylinder for iilm to be developed in said receptacle.

3. An apparatus of the character described for developing iilrncomprising a receptacle for containing a developing solution, acontainer for a temperature controlling solution mounted within saidreceptacle substantially centrally thereof, a cylinder slidably disposedover said container, a removable cover for said receptacle, the upperend of said cylinder being secured to said cover so as to be removedfrom said receptacle upon lifting said cover, annular bands mounted onthe upper and lower ends of said cylinder, U-shaped brackets projectinglaterally from the upper band and laterally projecting arms carried bythe lower band, said brackets and arms adapted to support film to bedeveloped within said receptacle.

LOUIS GOLDEN.

